Rock And Beach Fishing

[robthefisherman]

Might seem like a silly question but as I have never really tried rock or beach fishing do you use the same setup for both? ie rod and reel.

As I don't have a boat and my car project is making sure that it stays that way for the next year at least and I'm getting a bit over the usual land based estruary stuff thought I might try something a bit different and am going to get myself a beach rod but just wasn't sure if I could use this off the rocks as well.

Cheers

Rob

[Sharky]

I use my beach rod for both I hav never had a problem. Rock fishing is great fun if you berly up and keep the fish around the wash anything is possible, come to think of it I havnt been for a rock fish in ages I may have the weekend off Rob, if either of us (boat sluts ) dont get a ride we should go to kernel and see what we can berly up

[squidgie]

I think it all depends on what type of fish you are chasing and how you want to get them. I have a different rod/reel for beach fishing, but it can be used off the rocks as well for bottom bashing.(12ft rod +alvey reel). But my rods for off the rocks are 10ft'ers etc for spinning with lures/garfish/livebaiting and overhead reels which I dont take near sand at all. Just depends on what you are after I guess and what type of beach outfit you have....

Sq

[robthefisherman]

I use my beach rod for both I hav never had a problem. Rock fishing is great fun if you berly up and keep the fish around the wash anything is possible, come to think of it I havnt been for a rock fish in ages I may have the weekend off Rob, if either of us (boat sluts ) dont get a ride we should go to kernel and see what we can berly up

That might be a go Mark, I'll let you know if I don't score a ride, May be going out with Chris but he won't know till Friday.

So 10-12 ' rod and 6000-7000 spining reel would do the trick?

Do you berley up with bread???

What rigs do you recommend and do ypou need to run the leader to a swivel to stop line twist in the wash???

Lots of questions I know but hey ya gotta learn somewhere

[squidgie]

See if you can get the new book by Gary Brown -Beach and rock fishing.Good pics of rigs etc and how to go about it.

Bread makes a great universal berley. Add it to a bucket, water and mashit all up so its fine. Then toss in a few handfuls, then one every 5-10 mins depending on current. If you add tuna oil to it , even better but use a ladle to spoon out.

[Guest lbgking]

What are you targeting rob?

[robthefisherman]

Thanks squidgie

I'll see if I can get hold of it. I just watched alex bellisimos dvd rock and beach fishing, it had a lot of good info.

Incidently I need to send some dvd,s back to jocool but I've lost his # and address if anyone has it can you pm me so I can get em back to the big fella.

Cheers

Rob

What are you targeting rob?

whatever I can get

Just want to get out and catch some fish mate

[Bashir]

A good alrounder for the beach or rocks is an MT6144 of some description. Make sure if you buy a spinning reel, its a decent one that will handle getting hit with saltwater because that is what will happen on the rocks. Some 15lb mono for the rocks and maybe braid for the beach. With such an outfit you can expect to get everything from bream to drummer. There is actually a few decent wilson surf rods on ebay at the moment, they're going pretty cheap too and that would leave you with some extra money to get a decent reel like a shimano baitrunner, spheros, penn slammer etc..

[robthefisherman]

Thanks Bash

If not a spinning reel what would you suggest. an Alvey?

Cheers

Rob

[squidgie]

I used to have an eggbeater for beach work, but stuffed it. And it took a while to get used to using an alvey. If you get one, make sure the rod is to suit an alvey as the reel mounts are usually lower than usual and larger guides . And your casting style may need to change with them. But you can cast really light weights for drummer/bream in the wash, or whole baits in the surf. If the land in the sand just wash them off, and on the rocks they bounce(not sure about the graphite backed ones) so are quite tough. Im very happy with it now and wouldnt go back to an eggbeater for general beach or rock bottom bashing with bait.

If you do want a spinning reel the ones Bashir said are good plus daiwa emblem pro..they are meant to cast a mile. Dont know if they would handle a kingie of decent size of the rocks, but other species would be fine.

[Bashir]

I started off using threadline reels for surf and rock, but once I had a go with the alveys, they became my preferred choice. However I still use a penn 8500ss on a second rod when fishing for jews off the beach and a shimano 4500baitrunner for fishing for tailor and salmon. A threadline is a better allrounder especially if you want to cast some lures off the rocks - which I might add is a great way to spend a summer morning if the bonito, tailor, sambos and kings are thick. If you go for the threadline, you can also use the reel on a snapper / jew rod for the boat. Really it's your choice, I think alveys are great as they can be abused a little more and you can cast light baits and skull drag fish like drummer in. However a well maintained threadline reel will still get you into just as many fish.